Combined letter-sheet and envelop



F. I. SANDA.

COMBINED LETTER SHEET AND ENVELOP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY29, I919.

Patented July 6, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEETL jar/e 262% r: f. SAM 0H F. I. SANDA.

COMBINED LETTER SHEET AND ENVELOP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, I919.

Patented July 6, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SIIEET 2.

@Mv W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK I, SANDA, OF STEEL'ION, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1920.

Application filed. May 29, 1919. Serial No. 300,509;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK I. SANDA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Steelton, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Combined Letterheets and Envelope, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

The invention contemplates the utilization of a letter sheet adapted to be folded and sealed, by gumming, to form a packet for first class mailing, which may readily be opened by tearing off the sealed strips that bind part of the envelop, but which is held sealed, and the contents protected by the gummed strips against surreptitious opening of the mail, without consequent mutilation of the sheet. The invention resides in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts whereby the single letter sheet is folded and gummed to form a sealed envelop, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

1n the accompanying drawings one complete example, and two modifications, of the physical embodiment of the invention are illustrated, these exemplifications being according to the best modes I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention.

Figures 1, 2, and 3 illustrate one form of the invention wherein the letter sheet in Fig. 1 is shown flat, the underside of the sheet being for written matter or correspondence as is also the upper side of the flap at the left in said figure. Fig. 2 shows the letter sheet folded and sealed in the form of an envelop or packet, the address face or sheet being turned toward the observer. Fig. 3 illustrates the angular strips torn from the envelop of Fig. 2 for opening the envelop and letter sheet.

Fig. 4 shows a modified form of the letter sheet and Fig. 5 illustrates this modified form sealed and ready for mailing.

Fig. 6 illustrates a further modified letter sheet and Fig. 7 shows this sheet folded and sealed ready for address and mailing.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the blank or letter sheet 1 may be of suitable size and shape and of the desired material, usually paper of suflicient strength and weight to insure a substantial packet or envelop P as in Fig. 2. Around a portion of the sheet, and preferably the major portion, are tearing or opening strips, 2, 2, and 3 that are distinguished from the body of the sheet by suitable perforations 4, leaving a flap with plain edges 5, and 6, the flap being designed to fold into the envelop, and the strips 2 and 3 are gummed on their under sides in Fig. 1 so that the free edges of the folded sheet may be fastened together as in Fig. 2.

The letter sheet of Fig. 1 requires a twoway fold on the intersecting dotted lines 7 and 8 indicated on the sheet, and the folded parts of the sheet are designed as 9 for the address fold, 10 the back of theenvelop, and 11 and 12 designate the folded portions of the flap both sides of which may be used for correspondence or written matter. The un derside of the two folds, the front fold 9 and the back fold 10, are designed for correspondence, and the upper faces in Fig. 1 of these folds are for the address and rear of the envelop P.

The underside of the strips 2, 2, 3, in Fig. l are gummed in usual or approved manner and when sealing the letter sheet, the flap 1l-12 is first turned and folded on line 8 against the underside of the sheet in Fig. 1. A second fold is now made on line 7, folding portions 9-11 fiat on portions 1012 so that the gummed strips 22 and are brought together and sealed with the folded parts 11-12 inside the envelop. To open the envelop the strips 2, 3, of Fig. 2 are torn off along the perforated lines, making an angular detached part as shown in Fig. 8, and the letter sheet is then free to be unfolded for perusal or inspection in usual manner. Thus a sealed packet or en velop P is provided in which the contents, written on the letter sheet. are protected. the longer strip 2 being folded on itself and sealed, and the shorter strip 2 being sealed to the folded strip, while the strip 3 is folded on itself, inclosing the flap 1112 within the packet or envelop P as in Fig. 2.

In the modification of the invention illus trated in Figs. 4. and 5 the packet or envelop P is made by three folds, the sheets 13, 14:, 15, 16 being folded successively in one direction, and the gummed strips 17 and 18 are sealed together, overlapping the free or plane edges 19 (two in number) of the fold 15. In this form of the invention the two edges 19, 19, correspond to the two plane edges 5 and 6 of Fig. 1, and permit proper fastening of the gummed strips which extend along outside these edges when the letter sheet is folded and sealed asin Fig. 5.

The envelop P of Fig. letter sheet folded similar to the sheet of Fig. 4., the four faces 13' 1e 15" and 16" being the same as the faces or folds indicated by corresponding numbers in Fig. 4, and the free or plane edges 19 19 15f correspond to complementary parts in Fig. 4, but here an additional tongue, or tongues 20 are utilized-along the edge of the fold 14 instead of having the gummed strip extend entirely around two folds as in Fig. 4; Thistongue 20 at the ends of the fold 14 is preferred in some instances, and as it is gummed' it serves the same function as the continuous strip.

In all three forms of the invention illustrated it will be noted that there are provided two plain edges over which the gummedstrips overlap and beyond which they extend, and these strips present, in one instance, two edges to be .torn off and in the other two forms of the invention three edges are to be torn off, when the envelop is to be opened, leaving a plain, rectangular of the fold been flattened out for perusal.

The size and shape of the letter sheet may be varied with consequent variations in 'the size and shape of the envelop to adapt the sheet and envelop for different requirements, but in each instance the inner fold or layer 1l-12, 15, or 15', is utilized and the additional letter writing space acquired because ofits presence.

Nhat I claim isi A. combined letter sheet and envelop adapted for folding on intersecting lines,

7 is made from a correspondence sheet after the latter has said sheet having a foldable portion with an unperforated edge and an unperforated edge contiguous to said portion, and perforated edge strips extending around the sheet from one corner thereof to the line of foldin'g'the said portion, whereby the longer sealing side strip is doubled over upon itself and sealed and also sealed to the shorter side sealing strip. 7

"FRANK 1. serum. 

